1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,320 and FIG. 5 herein disclose a connector for use in a wire harness that will electrically connect the body of a vehicle to a trailer. As shown in FIG. 5, the connector has a wide flat housing 1 formed of synthetic resin. Terminal fittings 2, 3 arranged in a row inside the housing 1 in the widthwise direction of the housing 1. A step 4 projects from the outer surface of the housing 1. The housing 1 has a thin part forward of the step 4 and a thick part rearward from the step 4. Each terminal fitting 2, 3 has a box-shaped body 7 that can be connected with a mating terminal fitting. A barrel 8 is disposed rearward of the body 7 and is fixed to an end of an electric wire 9. Almost all of the body 7 is accommodated in the thin part 5 and almost all of the barrel 8 is accommodated in the thick part 6.
The thin part 5 of the housing 1 has a low rigidity. Additionally, the neck between the body 7 and the barrel 8 of each terminal fitting 2, 3 is easily deformable. Thus an excessive external force on the thin part 5 can deform the thin part 5 elastically about the step 4 in the widthwise direction of the housing 1. Consequently the body 7 of each of the terminal fittings 2, 3 may incline in the width direction of the housing 1, and the terminal fittings 2, 3 may be bent.
The invention has been completed in view of the above-described situation, and an object of the invention is to prevent a terminal fitting from being bent.